Glove with aesthetic and functional design

ABSTRACT

A glove for gardening and other general utility uses is provided comprising a palm portion configured to substantially cover a user&#39;s palm and palm side surface of the user&#39;s fingers and thumb, and a back portion configured to substantially cover the back of a user&#39;s hand and back surface of the user&#39;s fingers and thumb. One or more gripping portions are provided on the palm portion, with the back portion and the gripping portion comprising the same design pattern. Alternatively, the back portion and the gripping portions may comprise different design patterns. The design pattern or patterns are intended to be aesthetically pleasing, with the pattern on the gripping portions also aiding in the functionality of the glove by improving gripping and dexterity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to gloves, and more particularly to gloveshaving both aesthetic and functional designs.

2. Description of the Related Art

Gloves for general utility and gardening are well known in the art.Various utility and gardening gloves have been developed for protectionof the hand and to allow for improved gripping. When working on generalutility tasks or in the garden, it is important for the glove wearer touse a glove that is sufficiently protective of the hands while stillallowing flexibility, dexterity, comfort and tactile feel. However, manyutility and gardening gloves are designed for a wide variety of handssuch that they come in one size and shape that is generally wearable onsubstantially all hands. Such gloves may provide some protection for theglove wearer's hands, but because they may not adequately fit thecontour of an individual wearer's hand, they may make it difficult forthe user's hands to maintain desired flexibility, dexterity, comfort andtactile feel.

Additionally, many general utility and gardening gloves are notaesthetically pleasing. In the alternative, many utility and gardeninggloves may be aesthetically pleasing, but do not offer the level ofprotection and functionality desired by many glove users. It is thusdesirable to provide a glove that can sufficiently protect a user'shands, while providing the fit, flexibility, comfort, tactile feel, andaesthetically pleasing design many glove wearers desire.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide an aesthetically pleasing glovethat comfortably fits the contours of a user's hands and allows forproper tactile feel, with the glove also being durable, sufficientlyflexible, comfortable, and customizable. One embodiment of a gloveaccording to the present invention comprises a palm portion configuredto substantially cover a user's palm and palm side surface of the user'sfingers and thumb, and a back portion configured to substantially coverthe back of a user's hand and back surface of the user's fingers andthumb. One or more gripping portions on the palm portion are alsoprovided, with the back portion and the gripping portions comprising thesame design pattern.

Another embodiment of a glove according to the present inventioncomprises a palm portion configured to substantially cover a user's palmand palm side surface of the user's fingers and thumb, and a backportion configured to substantially cover the back of a user's hand andback surface of the user's fingers and thumb. A gripping portion on thethumb and a gripping portion on at least one of the fingers is alsoprovided, with the back portion and the gripping portions comprising adesign pattern.

Another embodiment according to the present invention comprises a gardenglove. The glove comprises a palm portion configured to substantiallycover a user's palm, a back portion configured to substantially coverthe back of a user's hand, finger portions configured to substantiallycover the fingers of a user's hand, and a thumb portion configured tosubstantially cover the thumb of a user's hand. One or more grippingportions are provided on the palm portion, with the gripping portioncomprising a design pattern.

These and other further features and advantages of the invention wouldbe apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a glove according tothe present invention, shown from the back side of the glove;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, shownfrom the palm side of the glove;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a glove accordingto the present invention, shown from the back side of the glove;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, shownfrom the palm side of the glove;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a glove accordingto the present invention, shown from the back side of the glove; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, shownfrom the palm side of the glove.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an aesthetically pleasing glove thatcomfortably fits the contours of a user's hands and allows for propertactile feel, with the glove also being durable, sufficiently flexible,comfortable, and customizable. The glove comprises design features thatare also functional in nature. This results in a generalutility/gardening glove comprising a design pattern that can carry overto the palm side of the glove and provide improved gripping, protection,tactile feel, and dexterity. The present invention is generally directedto gloves used for general utility purposes and gardening, but it isunderstood that the gloves may be appropriate for a number ofapplications.

FIGS. 1-2 show one embodiment of a glove 10 according to the presentinvention, generally comprising a back portion 12 that substantiallycovers the back of the user's hand, fingers, and thumb. The back portion12 can be formed from many different materials, with a suitable materialbeing Spandex, leather, synthetic leather, heavy mesh, or Lycra®. Thematerial is suited to protect the back of the user's hand while allowingfor freer movement, ease of finger bending, comfort, and durability. Theback portion 12 may comprise pieces of material joined together, and canalso be a combination of heavy mesh, Lycra®, leather, synthetic leather,and/or other suitable materials, and can also include padding whereappropriate.

The glove 10 also includes a palm portion 14 that substantially coversthe user's palm and palm side surface of the fingers. The palm ispreferably made of leather, synthetic leather, heavy mesh, Spandex, orLycra®, although it is understood that other suitable materials may alsobe used. The palm portion 14 may comprise pieces of material joinedtogether, and can also be a combination of leather, synthetic leather,heavy mesh, Spandex, Lycra®, and/or other suitable materials, and canalso include padding where appropriate.

Finger sections 16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16 d may be an extension of either theback portion 12 or palm portion 14 of the glove 10, or both.Alternatively, finger sections 16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16 d can be separateportions from back portion 12 or palm portion 14, such that they arestitched or otherwise attached separately to the remainder of the glove.They may also comprise various pieces of material that are joinedtogether via stitching, gluing or another suitable means of joining thematerials. Finger sections 16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16 d preferably coversubstantially all of the fingers. Alternatively, sections 16 a, 16 b, 16c, 16 d may cover the surfaces running between the saddle of adjacentfingers, such that they are attached to the glove to combine backportion 12 and palm portion 14. Finger sections 16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16 dcan be made of leather, synthetic leathers, heavy mesh, Spandex, Lycra®,or any combination thereof, although it is understood that othersuitable materials may also be used.

Thumb section 18 may likewise be an extension of either the back portion12 or palm portion 14 of the glove 10, or both. Alternatively, thumbsection 18 can be a separate portion from back portion 12 or palmportion 14, such that it is stitched glued, or otherwise suitableattached separately to the remainder of the glove. Thumb section 18preferably covers substantially all of the thumb. Thumb section 18 canbe made of leather, synthetic leather, heavy mesh, Spandex, Lycra®, orany combination thereof, although it is understood that other suitablematerials may also be used.

Finger sections 16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16 d and thumb section 18 may comprisevent holes (not shown) or a breathable material to allow air to passthrough the glove and enhance the breath-ability of the glove.Alternatively, vent holes (not shown) or a breathable material can beadded to the back portion 12 or palm portion 14 of the glove to enhancebreath-ability.

Glove 10 further comprises a design pattern 20 on back portion 12, withthe pattern covering substantially all of or only portions of backportion 12. Design pattern 20 may be a design inherent in the fabric ofback portion 12, or may be a pattern that is later painted on, etchedonto, layered onto, or otherwise added as a secondary step onto backportion 12. Design pattern 20 is intended to be aesthetically pleasingfor the glove user, such that it comprises a look that is artistic andvisually appealing to the user. Pattern 20 may comprise any number ofcolors or color combinations and may be any pattern that isaesthetically pleasing to the user.

Glove 10 further comprises gripping portions 22, which are added tocover portions of or substantially all of the palm portion 14. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 2, gripping portions 22 are added to the thumband two finger sections of palm portion 14, although it is understoodthat gripping portions 22 may be added to more or less finger sectionsand may also be added to sections below the fingers. Gripping portions22 are preferably made from a material that is sufficiently supple whilealso comprising gripping characteristics, such as any number of gels,silicon, rubber, or foam, although it is understood that many materialsare suitable.

Gripping portions 22 are preferably layered onto sections of palmportion 14 using deposition techniques well known in the art, such thatportions 22 are texturally raised from the surface of the materialcomprising palm portion 14. However, it is understood that they may alsobe glued on, sewn on, or attached via another suitable method. Grippingportions 22 further comprise a design pattern which is intended to beaesthetically appealing for the glove user. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 2, gripping portions 22 utilize design pattern 20, which issubstantially the same pattern 20 used on the back portion 12 of glove10. However, it is understood that the design pattern of grippingportions 22 may comprise a design pattern different from pattern 20,such that the pattern on the back portion 12 and the pattern of grippingportions 22 on palm portion 14 are not substantially the same. Thedesign pattern of gripping portions 22 may comprise a color contrastingthe color of the underlying palm portion 14 material, although it isunderstood that any number of colors may be used in accordance with thepresent invention. Further, the design pattern of gripping portions 22may comprise a color contrasting or matching design pattern 20, althoughany color or color combination may be used.

The gripping portions 22 provide a number of advantages. One advantageis to provide one or more grip surfaces on the palm side of the glovesuch that the glove 10 acts like a tool for the user and improves theuser's ability to effectively grab objects and maintain desired contactwith them. Additionally, providing the gripping portions 22 improves thedexterity of the user and improves the tactile feel enabled by theglove. Another advantage is to provide an aesthetically attractive orpleasing means of functionality such that a user is able to haveeffective gripping, dexterity and tactile feel while also exhibiting anoutward appearance that coincides with the user's aesthetic tastes.

Glove 10 may also comprise a wrist portion 24 that is adjacent to andextends from back and palm portions 12 and 14, with wrist portion 24configured to encircle the user's wrist to help secure the glove. Thewrist portion 24 may extend beyond the user's wrist and partially up thearm to add additional protection. In one embodiment according to thepresent invention, the wrist portion 24 comprises an elastic portion 26that can fit snugly about the user's wrist such that dirt and debris isprevented from entering the inside of the glove. A large section ofwrist portion 24 may extend beyond elastic portion 26 up a portion ofthe arm. The wrist portion 24 may also include a wrist closure tab (notshown) that closes the wrist portion 24 around the user's wrist and isheld in place by Velcro (not shown). The closure tab and Velcro can acttogether to tighten or loosen the glove at the wrist according to theuser's preference. Alternatively, a wrist portion can include a closurestrap that closes the wrist section around the user's wrist and is heldin place by a hook and loop closure (not shown). It is understood thatmany additional, suitable means of closure about the wrist portion canalso be utilized.

Wrist portion 24 may also comprise a tab portion 28, which may extendfrom palm portion 14 past wrist portion 24 and aid in the user's abilityto easily pull the glove onto his/her hand. Additionally, the tabportion 28 may comprise a loop section (not shown) that extends beyondwrist portion 24 and provides a means for the glove 10 to be hung on ahook or the like, be connected with a another glove 10, or be displayedon an appropriate retail display apparatus (not shown).

All parts of the glove 10 are preferably connected together using a sewninseam. However, it is understood that other suitable methods of joiningthe various portions together may also be used, including using an outerseam or using an adhesive such as glue. The glove 10 is preferablycomprised of material or a combination of materials that allow it to beeasily cleaned, such as in a washing machine.

FIGS. 3-4 show another embodiment of a glove 30 similar to the glove 10depicted in FIGS. 1-2, having back portion 12, palm portion 14, fingerportions 16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16 d, thumb portion 18, wrist portion 24,elastic wrist closure 26, and tab portion 28. However, FIGS. 3-4 depicta different design 32, which is provided on substantially all of backportion 12 except for finger portions 16 a-d and thumb portion 18;finger portions 16 a-d and thumb portion 18 may be comprised of anothermaterial without a pattern. However, it is understood that the design 32may extend to finger portions 16 a-d and thumb portion 18. The samearrangement of pattern 32 may be utilized in gripping portions 34 asdescribed above and shown in FIG. 4; however, it is understood that apattern not substantially similar to pattern 32 may also be used forgripping portions 34. The pattern of gripping portions 34 may becomprised of a color that contrasts with the underlying palm portion 14material color as shown in FIG. 4. However, it is understood that thegripping portions 34 may comprise any color or a combination of colorsthat may or may not contrast with the underlying material. Further,gripping portions 34 are shown in sections on the thumb and two fingersof the glove, but it is understood that they may also be included onjust one of the fingers or 3 or more fingers and not on the thumb.Moreover, the gripping portions 34 may also be disposed on portions ofthe palm (not shown).

FIGS. 5-6 show another embodiment of a glove 40 similar to the gloves 10and 30 depicted in FIGS. 1-2 and 3-4 respectively. Glove 40 has a backportion 12, palm portion 14, finger portions 16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16 d,thumb portion 18, wrist portion 24, elastic wrist closure 26, and tabportion 28. However, FIGS. 5-6 depict a different design 42, which isprovided on substantially all of back portion 12 except for fingerportions 16 a-d and thumb portion 18; finger portions 16 a-d and thumbportion 18 may be comprised of another material without a pattern. Thesame arrangement of pattern 42 may be utilized in gripping portions 44as described above and shown in FIG. 6; however, it is understood that apattern not substantially similar to pattern 42 may also be used forgripping portions 44. The pattern of gripping portions 44 may becomprised of a color that substantially matches the underlying palmportion 14 material color as shown in FIG. 6. However, it is understoodthat the gripping portions 44 may comprise any color or a combination ofcolors that may or may not contrast with the underlying material.

Further, gripping portions 44 are shown in sections on the thumb and allfour fingers of the glove, but it is understood that they may also beincluded on less than all of the fingers and not on the thumb. Moreover,the gripping portions 44 may also be disposed on portions of the palm(not shown). While design patterns 20, 32, and 42 and the patterns ofgripping portions 22, 34, and 44 represent some possible, preferredembodiments of patterns that can be used to provide features that areboth aesthetically pleasing and functional, it is understood that anumber of different patterns and combinations of patterns can be used.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith reference to certain preferred configurations thereof, otherversions are possible. The aesthetic and functional designs can be usedin many different types of gloves, and the gloves may be utilized for anumber of varying purposes. The designs can also have many differentshapes and can be configured around the gloves in many different ways.Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the invention should not be limitedto the preferred versions of the invention described above.

1. A glove, comprising: a palm portion configured to substantially cover a user's palm and palm side surface of the user's fingers and thumb; a back portion configured to substantially cover the back of a user's hand and back surface of the user's fingers and thumb; and one or more gripping portions on said palm portion; wherein said back portion and said gripping portions comprises the same design pattern.
 2. The glove of claim 1, further comprising a wrist portion configured to encircle the user's wrist and secure the glove.
 3. The glove of claim 1, wherein said wrist portion is secured with an elastic cuff.
 4. The glove of claim 2, wherein said wrist portion is secured with a tab and Velcro.
 5. The glove of claim 1, further comprising finger sections which run between each of the user's fingers.
 6. The glove of claim 1, wherein the design pattern of said gripping portions comprises a rubber material.
 7. The glove of claim 1, wherein said back portion is at least partially comprised of a durable and flexible material such as Spandex, mesh, or Lycra®.
 8. The glove of claim 1, wherein said palm portion is at least partially comprised of a durable and flexible material such as leather or synthetic leather.
 9. The glove of claim 1, wherein said gripping portions are aesthetically pleasing and assist in improving the grip of the user.
 10. The glove of claim 1, wherein said glove is machine washable.
 11. A glove, comprising: a palm portion configured to substantially cover a user's palm and palm side surface of the user's fingers and thumb; a back portion configured to substantially cover the back of a user's hand and back surface of the user's fingers and thumb; and a gripping portion on said thumb and a gripping portion on at least one of said fingers; wherein said back portion and said gripping portions comprise a design pattern.
 12. The glove of claim 11, further comprising a wrist portion configured to encircle the user's wrist and secure the glove.
 13. The glove of claim 12, wherein said wrist portion is secured with an elongated elastic cuff such that dirt and debris are prevented from entering the inside of the glove.
 14. The glove of claim 11, further comprising finger sections which run between each of the user's fingers.
 15. The glove of claim 14, wherein said finger sections are comprised of a breathable material.
 16. The glove of claim 11, wherein said back and palm portions are at least partially comprised of durable and flexible materials.
 17. The glove of claim 16, wherein said back and palm portions are comprised of different materials, said back portion material comprising an aesthetically pleasing design pattern.
 18. The glove of claim 11, wherein said gripping portions are comprised of a different material than said palm portion, said gripping portion material texturally raised from said palm portion.
 19. The glove of claim 11, wherein vent holes or a breathable material may be included along any portion of said back and palm portions to make the glove more breathable and to aid in cooling the user's hand.
 20. A gardening glove, comprising: a palm portion configured to substantially cover a user's palm; a back portion configured to substantially cover the back of a user's hand; finger portions configured to substantially cover the fingers of a user's hand; a thumb portion configured to substantially cover the thumb of a user's hand; and one or more gripping portions on said palm portion, said gripping portion comprising a design pattern.
 21. The gardening glove of claim 25, wherein said back portion comprises a second design pattern.
 22. The gardening glove of claim 26, wherein said second design pattern and said design pattern of said gripping portions are substantially similar. 